As if a memoir does not reveal enough, former First Lady, Michelle Obama, will set out on a book tour for her upcoming book, "Becoming" starting this November 13 at the Chicago, United center. The tour will extend throughout various cities in the country. She plans to share personal moments from within the book, this time, in person.

She revealed that she has officially finished "Becoming" on her Twitter just yesterday. Mrs. Obama describes the book as "candid" and hopes to hear from those who attend, about their journey to "Becoming" . Presales will come available September 20. Public sale begins September 21. See below for the full list of dates and locations.

​ Light shows are a thing to behold whether one is watching the Empire State Building, The Eiffel Tower, or anything done by a Disney Park. But there is one particular light show in Montréal, Canada that is absolutely dazzling. The name of the show is Aura and it is held in the Notre-Dame Basilica that is over 200 years old. The show uses 140 lights, 4 lasers, 20 mirrors, more than 20 projections, and lasts forty-five minutes. The lights are also accompanied by an orchestra as the display moves around the Basilica.Aura is supposed to express the beautiful architect of the Basilica itself. The show began back in 2017 to mark the 375th Anniversary of the building. It was originally going to be a one-time thing but has been extended to still perform in 2018 because of how popular the spectacle became. It is not known at this time if the show will end in 2018 or continue into 2019. An adult ticket usually costs $18USD and tours are normally held on Tuesday and Saturday evenings

"...Bet I get a statue in my hometown when I die". - single art "I Might Need Security. Photo: Spotify

Musical artist and community activist, Chance the Rapper speaks out against bias in the press and online dissenters of his personal life in his newly released track, "I Might Need Security". Chance caused quite the stir by announcing his purchase of Chicago online news publication, The Chicagoist. ​

"I bought the Chiagoist just to run you racist..[explicit] .out of business" - Chance the Rapper takes a shot at the news outlett, followed by another shot at a 2017 Chicago Sun-Times article about his personal life.

The Chicagoist had been mostly silent since late last year after the owner, Joe Ricketts shut down the outlet, putting a good number of people out of work. Chance did not take very kindly to the news . Chance previously expressed his disdain with the lack of community coverage on areas with majority POC. Nonprofit organization New York Public Radio's President and CEO, Laura Walker admitted there had been a "decline in local journalism" back in February, but it wasn't clear on the future of the site.

"I’m extremely excited to be continuing the work of the Chicagoist, an integral local platform for Chicago news, events and entertainment,” said Chance The Rapper. “WNYC’s commitment to finding homes for the -ist brands, including Chicagoist, was an essential part of continuing the legacy and integrity of the site. I look forward to re-launching it and bringing the people of Chicago an independent media outlet focused on amplifying diverse voices and content - The Gothamist - WNYC

The beat for "I Might Need Security" mostly samples that quite simply puts up a middle finger to whomever fits the shoe. It was not the only song he released Wednesday night. Four new Chance the Rapper songs are now available on most streaming platforms. Each song holds a mostly feel good and carefree vibe. Listen Here

​ Starbucks Seattle banned the use of all plastic straws days ago, but plan to ban to implement the rule, globally, by 2020 in order to help cut down waste. On average a person uses 1.6 straws a day and more than half a million end up dumped in the ocean. In fact, according to Ocean Conservancy Inc. straws are on the list of top ten items they clean up at the beach. Straws hurt the environment by harming wildlife like albatross, fish, and sea turtles who accidentally ingest them. There was even a video released a few years ago of a poor sea turtle that had a straw stuck up its nose while boaters tried to pull it out, which lead to the anti-straw movement.Starbucks’ hometown of Seattle, Washington has already banned straws and will continue to get rid of straws in over 28,000 locations. This is estimated to cut out about 1bn (billon) straws each year. Starbucks’ alternative is a recyclable lid that acts like a sippy cup lid. This lid is already being used in some stores and will be used for all drinks except Frappuccinos which will have a recyclable straw. Other places that are considering plastic straw bans include Portland, New York City, and California. This ban makes Starbucks the biggest food and drinks company to eliminate plastic straws.

Image of sea turtle and the straw that ended up in its nose from researchgate.net

​ According to the source Now This, McDonald’s will remove straws in the U.K. and Ireland by 2019. This is good news to hear, however, the lid that’s replacing the straws are still plastic. Plastic is recyclable, but out of all 8.3 billion metric tons of plasticthat has been produced only 6.3 billion metric tons have turned to waste while 79% end up in landfills or the natural environment. Starbucks has argued through Twitter that the lids will be easier to recycle because of their size but according to the numbers above that’s hard to believe. The straws being used in the Fraps will be paper or bio degradable plastic straws.

This is a step in the right direction however, it still has its flaws. The lid should be made of an easier recyclable material such as paper/cardboard. Perhaps Starbucks can invest in the companies that are creating thick leaf utensils, bamboo utensils, metal straws, or even try one restaurant’s pasta straws that has a noodle act as a straw. This noodle straw is easily made, composts easily, and doesn’t break down in the drink or change the drink’s flavor. Hopefully, other companies will get on board with the straw ban and move forward to ban all plastic from eating utensils, cups, plates, and the dreaded plastic bag.

​ Hawaii is becoming the first nation to ban and make certain sunscreens illegal. A bill was passed by Hawaiian legislation this past May that bans sunscreens that obtain the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate; two chemicals that scientists lawmakers agree that are harming the reefs. Sunscreen damages reefs through a process known as a coral bleaching. This is when the coral is exposed to warmer water temperatures and other factors that cause the corals to expel the algae known as zooxanthellae that live in their tissue. This causes the coral to lose its pigmentation and makes the coral go white; hence the name. This phenomenon has affected Hawaii’s reefs for a long time now and 56% of Big Island’s coral has been bleached. Reefs help protect the ocean shoreline like Hawaii’s from damaging waves and tropical storms. Coral reefs are a vital part of our ocean’s ecosystem as well. They provide a habitat for thousands of marine lives, are a vital source of nitrogen and other nutrients for the marine food chain, they assist in carbon and nitrogen-fixing; which in turn helps with the ocean’s nutrient system.

Image of a bleached reef from awesomeoceam.com

​ Also, they help the fishing industry, the tourism industry, and they provide scientist with evidence of climatic events that happened over millions of years ago. Sadly, more of these reefs are going endangered and one-fifth of the world’s reefs have died off. Sunscreen is a part of the problem but so is warmer water temperatures and other stressful environmental events that can harm the polyps in coral. Some of the sunscreens being banned are Coppertone and Banana Boat and of course both companies are pushing their products saying how will people protect themselves from the sun? Easy by buying sunscreen without the harmful chemicals that are on the market. Some coral friendly sunscreens include Raw Love sunscreen that’s actually made in Maui, Deter Mineral ReefSafe sunscreen, Maui Surfer Natural Honey sunscreen, Badger Sunscreen Cream, Badger Broad Spectrum Sports face stick, and more. These products can be purchased off websites like Amazon.com and in stores. Other than these sunscreens buy zinc or tin-based sunscreens, avoid the instant spray on ones that turn into grey goop on your skin afterward, don’t use products with the mentioned harmful chemicals so read the label carefully. There are sunscreens that also have other harmful chemicals such as avobenzone, octocrylene, and homosalate; these chemicals are found in sunscreen with nanoparticles. Go on cruise ships, scuba/snorkeling boat groups that don’t allow harmful sunscreen and cover up if you can.

Actress Ashley Bell (The Last Exorcism), produced documentary on Asian elephant abuse, Love and Bananas: An Elephant Story. Bell was inspired to create the documentary after being invited to the elephant sanctuary in Thailand, Bell saw the horrors of deforestation of the elephant’s environment were poachers have a strong reign, she learned there are less than 50,000 Asian elephants alive today, and she saw the beating these poor animals receive just to perform tricks. The rest of the documentary follows Bell and Thai conservationist Sangdeaun Lek Chailert on a mission to rescue a 70-year-old nearly blind elephant. Together they try to adopt this animal from its cruel abusive company known as “elephant trek.” They succeed in the adoption and drive 500 miles back to the sanctuary. The journey was long and hard but seeing the complete transformation of this sweet animal was well worth it. But giving rides isn’t the only thing wrong with this picture.

Elephants have been beloved creatures throughout various cultures. In America we have them on baby clothes and nursery room walls, we have stuffed animals, movies about how cute they are, and tons of elephant accessories. In Asian cultures, the elephant is seen as a deity and even worshiped as such. It’s funny how humans express their love over all these things but in the same breath don’t care that real elephants are being hunted to near extinction for their ivory. Not only that but elephants face abuse and neglect in zoos, circuses, and shows worldwide. In fact, some people in Asian cultures and other places around the world find it ironic that the elephant is seen as a deity, but real ones are chained, beaten, starved, and separated from their families just so they can give rides and be in festivals/shows.

Image of elephant abuse from themindunleashed.com

​ Let’s not forget the hypocrisy around how elephants are so endangered that we need to keep them alive but if a rich person wants to kill them for fun then it’s A-Okay. This is like the Jennifer Price satirical essay, "The Plastic Pink Flamingos, A Natural History". Price talks about how flamingos are a sign of wealth and how tourists love going to Florida to see them, but back in the 1800s Floridians practically hunted them to near extinction. Elephants are killed for their ivory for decorative objects but also because of the myths of them being healing objects when the same stuff in ivory is found in your fingernails. If you love the elephant so much then actually do something such as refusing to buy any ivory, protest, petition, donate, share videos online, anything to show you really do care.

July 4th, the American Independence Day, marked on calendars as a national holiday. Banks are closed and patriots line up at firecracker stands. Some may not know that July 4th, 1776 only marked the freedom of white Americans from the monarchy. June 19th, roughly a century later, was the day the remaining slaves were free in America. The name popularized for this "Black 4th of July" was Juneteenth. Just like July 4th, Juneteenth is celebrated with parades, cookouts, and days of service.

To spare a lengthy history lesson, there is a plethora of things to do and other ways to be educated, regardless of race. Since Juneteenth begun in Texas, there a few things to do in the Lone Star state this weekend and the days leading to it. In Houston, Texas, the Houston Museum of African American Culture is hosting a "red drink" Juneteenth celebration to honor African American ancestors. They currently need volunteers to help with a temporary fountain this Saturday, June 23rd from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. Citizens can visit the Emancipation Park in Houston Texas to observe Juneteenth history or search Facebook and Event bright for hundreds of options. If all else fails, light up the barbeque pit, play some Zydeco, and invite family over for a good time.

"Juneteenth" began in Texas over two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the "Emancipation Proclamation". Keep in mind there were no cell phones or instagram to update us on national activity, so those in Texas were unaware of what took place. There is a story of the messenger that was sent to Texas, but was murdered on his way. ​Either way, Union General Gordon Granger finally made it to Galveston, Texas to announce the Civil War was over, and all remaining slaves were freed.

Red Table Talk, the show created by Jada Pinkett -Smith, helps viewers to be a fly on the wall in during deep, heavy, and personal conversations between her loved ones, those in her past, and other entertainment professionals. The show is exclusive to Facebook Watch at the moment and is co hosted by her daughter, Willow Smith, and her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris. ​ Red Table Talk has generated such positive reviews that the Facebook Watch ordered an additional 13 episodes.Facebook users more recently have been buzzing about the most recent episode with her daughter, Willow Smith. Jada revealed her sexual habits began as a young girl when she discovered masturbation. She spoke on this topic in front her Willow. In the same sitting, Willow revealed her encounters with self harm and sexuality, making a truly compelling episode. Viewers also got a chance to understand the 17 year "beef" between Jada and Gabrielle Union. On that episode, Union admitted to wanted to tear other women down after her first marriage failed, but has moved past that time in her life. The two, of course, ended their talk on a positive note. The rest of the episodes are set to be released on Facebook watch this Fall, but no exact date has been confirmed.

If you live anywhere near the water, beach or lake, then you’ve probably come across people who own or even rent out wave runners. A wave runner is similar to a Jetski. The top two dominating wave runner brands are the Yamaha and the Sea-doo. I prefer the Yamahas and own a 2017 EX model. If you’re in the market to purchase one of these then here’s what you should know about each brand: There are several models of Sea-doos and Yamahas, so I’ll just stick to the 2018 Sea-dooSpark and the 2018 Yamaha EX. The Spark has a 900cc (cubic centimeter) three-cylinder engine, is 90 in horsepower, seating capacity of 3, is 120x46x41”, and weighs 421lbs. This model costs around $6,500. It also has the fuel capacity of 7.9 gallons and has 7.84 gallons of storage space. Storage is usually under the seats or the steering wheel when you lift off the top.

Sea-doo Spark and Yamaha EX (2018) on the water. Photos: BRP & Yamaha

The EX model has a 1049cc three-cylinder engine, horsepower of 100, seating capacity of 3, is 123x43x45”, and weighs 577lbs. It has the fuel capacity of 13.2 gallons and 7.7 gallons of storage space. Some Yamahas, including the EX, has a step you can use to climb on the back and has the safety feature known as the “rooster tail” that Sea-doos don’t have. Basically, the rooster tail is like a spewing small water fountain that shoots out the back of the wave runner which helps boats to spot you easier on the water. The EX model costs about $6,700. While the Sea-doo Spark costs less than the Yamaha EX, the EX has more gas storage. If you do want to purchase one of these wave runners one day be in mind of other things you need to buy along with it: life jackets are a requirement to ride. You need to buy a trailer, so you can drive it to a boat drop off when you need to take it to or from the water. Also, you should consider a wave runner lift to install to your dock. While a trailer works just fine, a lift could reduce trips to the boat drop off all season. Be sure to keep wave runners in a garage or a storage unit during the winter season as well to keep it out of the elements.